The more Americans know about evangelicals, the less they like them: study

“Americans with a high level of religious knowledge have a warmer view of Jews, Catholics, mainline Protestants and Buddhists than they have of evangelical Christians and are least warm to Muslims and atheists, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.” - Christian Examiner

Discussion

Although we have to avoid behavior & attitudes which unnecessarily create dislike, whether people, especially unbelievers, like me is not very high on my list of concerns. The OT prophets, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, and others - wasn’t a concern for them, even though Paul wanted us to have good relationships, if possible. The desire to be “liked” eventually leads to theological disaster.

Wally Morris

Charity Baptist Church

Huntington, IN

amomentofcharity.blogspot.com

Jesus said that the world will hate true followers of Christ just like it hated Him. We should expect that the closer to Biblical truth we are, the more we will be rejected by those who do not know Christ. Anyone who has a more positive view of Catholics, Jews, and Buddhists than for Biblical Christians is no Christian.

For our part, we should endeavor to be truly Christ-like in every way. The more we are like Christ, the more we will be loved by those who know Christ, and rejected by those who do not.

G. N. Barkman

What the study fails to show is why those who know most about Christianity are most likely to not like Christians. Is it because Jesus and Jesus alone is the stumbling block? Maybe it is because evangelicals oppose Abortion-on-demand and gay marriage, which upsets non-Christians. Or is it because American evangelical Christians have attached themselves to close to a political party or President (which non-Christians see as hypocrisy)? Sadly I am finding more and more evangelical Christians that see those whom they disagree politically as the enemy rather than the mission field. It will not surprise me if evangelical’s political ties contribute to a burning of the mission field in America. https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2019/july/partisan-evangeli…